The Ministry of Environment has confirmed that a new Oceanic whitetip shark appeared near Ras Nasrani coast in Sharm El-Sheikh on Friday.
This species of shark is considered dangerous due to its notorious tendency to attack. It is also rare and at risk of extinction as it is hunted for its fins to make shark fin soup.
In an official statement, the ministry warned against entering the water, making noise, or directly provoking sharks when they appear regardless of their danger level, or else the diving centre will be shut down.
It also outlined a list of precautionary measures to be undertaken by tourists and people in the area, such as: not entering the water when the shark appears, not entering the water with a recent injury, not disposing of waste or rubbish in the water, and generally not making sudden movements that could disturb the shark.
Snorkelling tourists posted a video to YouTube on Friday showing the shark in their vicinity, which was also close to the beach. Several boats appeared in the video with snorkelers on board, while others were swimming.
According to the ministry, the possibility of dangerous sharks appearing is on the rise, especially in areas with coral reefs.
The Oceanic whitetip shark is ranked among the top dangerous sharks in the world. It has a solitary attitude, yet it responds aggressively and stubbornly if an opportunity for food presents itself.
In 1945, a boat carrying 800 sailors near Guam sunk. The sailors were attacked by Oceanic whitetip sharks. This was considered the worst shark attack in history.
